National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has all but endorsed former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu to sail through upcoming party primaries for the Tamale South seat.
Asiedu Nketiah said the four-time Member of Parliament (MP) had become so powerful in his constituency that it would even be surprising if he is contested at all when the primaries are held later this year.
“The outgone Minority Leader, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, he is so powerful in his constituency, he is almost always not contested at all. I have my doubts whether anybody will contest him,” Asiedu Nketiah told party faithful during a meeting in London last week.
The General Secretary claimed that the changes were going to affect some other leaders in the upcoming primaries.
“They will not be impacted by the changes, one of the ousted persons, Dr. Avedzi (former deputy Minority Leader) is not going to Parliament again, but the case of Mohammed Muntaka-Mubarak is different. We didn’t think that this change will affect his fortune one way or the other and so we felt this is the best time to undertake these changes”
Asiedu Nketiah
He stressed that the advantages of expedition outweighed the concerns that were being raised about the timing.
Haruna Removal Was A Reckless Move
The Managing Editor of “The Insight”, Kwasi Pratt Jnr, says the decision by top hierarchy of the opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) to remove the Tamale South Member of Parliament (MP) Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader was a reckless move.
According to Kwasi Pratt, the party could have adopted a better strategy to get him out of the position than the coup embarked on by the NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and his cohorts.
Mr. Pratt described Mr. Iddrisu as primus inter pares because he is a huge personality in the Northern Region. Therefore, the NDC should have considered the political circumstances that exist prior to taking the decision to remove him as the Minority Leader in Parliament. He believes that the modus operandi adopted has given room for all manner of speculations against the party.
“Haruna Iddrisu may have all his faults but he is the primus inter pares in the Northern region. I have been to Tamale on many occasions, I went to school in Tamale, I know Tamale fairly well. This is a man who comes to Tamale and he doesn’t drive a car, I have seen him riding just an ordinary bicycle moving from place to place holding conferences in the streets, playing cards with members. I have seen him on a motorbike going to funerals and so on, expressed the Managing Editor of “The Insight”.
“His popularity is legendary and any time he has been touched, there have been repercussions. He is not God, he is not all-knowing, he is not omnipotent, he is not omnipresent, he can be removed but if you want to remove him there are things that you have to do knowing the political circumstances. Were those things done? This is a reckless move, absolutely reckless move.
“So, what have you achieved? You have created conditions for all manner of speculations. Yesterday, I was listening to some of my friends in the NPP discuss this matter, come and see, it was like they had won a bonanza. One of them actually went to the extent of saying John Mahama directed this move because he has a rift with Haruna, he wants to show Haruna some sense. This is not true, John Mahama was not comfortable with this move.”
Kwasi Pratt Jnr.
Besides Haruna Iddrisu, Muntakla Mubarak and James Kluste Avedzi have also been removed as Minority Chief Whip and Deputy Minority Leader respectively. Their removal has divided the Minority caucus with some petitioning the party against the decision.
For instance, Zebilla lawmaker, Cletus Avoka said the Speaker of Parliament has not informed the Minority caucus and the entire House of any changes made to the leadership of the Minority. Therefore, Haruna Iddrisu and the others removed, still remain at post.
“For us, there is no reshuffle yet, the Speaker has not communicated to Us,” said the Zebilla lawmaker.
Asawase Member of Parliament Muntaka Mubarak who was also affected by the changes asked his party, the NDC to sit up. He still believes that the decision was made by a few executives although the statement announcing it was signed by the General Secretary Fifi Kwetey.
“If you cannot write a letter to appoint, how can you write to disappoint? We don’t want to create enmity among us unnecessarily, we believe that the right process should be followed. If the right process is followed, we will be happy and thank them for the opportunity to serve. We hope that they will help fast-track the hearing of the issues.”
Kletus Avoka
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